Seal



similar barrels, i

Patented Aug. 6, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT oI-"Flcr-L 1 claim, (01,.217-114) *The present-invention relates to a seal, and is concerned moreparticular'lyrwith yav seal for tap bushes of beer `barrels and the*` like, together with a' method of sealing the tap'bushes of such and i In connection with the sale of taxableliquors,

it is required that the tap bushes or the tap openings through vwhich the liquors may be removed fromthe containers be sealed as, for instance, by 'revenue stamps.

, VIt'has happened that in some instances thel revenuestamps have been so applied as to'beremovable by unauthorized persons without damaging thestarnps, and the stamps so removed have been' applied to bootlegliquorg which liquorsare then sold asliquors on which the revenue taxes have been paid." g i f "I t is an' object of the present" invention to provvide a method of sealing tap bushes of beer barrels and the like, wherebythe seal, such as a -revenue stamp, may be removed for gaining access to the interior of the barrel or container, and at the same time' the means employed for applying the stamp remain in place. Any sealing means which `is .foundremoved from containers returned tothe `breweries results in investigations as to why "such sealing means have been removed, thereby enf'abling the authorities to rundown unauthorized sale of bootleg liquors. v e 'v1 Another objectof the inventionisto provide .means for' adequately 'sealingtap' bushes of beer barrels and the like. Y v f V "[Another-obj'ect ofthe invention isto provide `means fr sealing tap bushes of beer barrels, ,and the like, i'n'sucli manner that the seals may be removedfo'r access to the barrels, Vand at the same tiri'iethesealing'means remain in place. y

Afurther'cbject of the invention'isA to provide means for applying revenue ,e stamps over tap bushes ofbeer barrels in such manner as to readily indicate' whether or not the stamps have been -fraudulently removed. A Y A still further object of the invention is to im- 'prove generally means V'for sealing tap bushes of beer barrels and the like. Y y Si The above, other and further objects ofthe inventionwill be apparent from the followingv description, faoco'rrlpanyingdrawing, and appended claimi" A f M i Variousaspects of the present invention are ilylustrated in the accompanying drawing, and the views thereof are as followsz` L 1 ,Figure lis a plan view of a tap" bush sealed in accordance with the principles lof `thepresent in; vention.

" Figure 2 is a vertical sectional View taken sub` stantially in the plane indicated by the line II-II of Figure l.

Figure Y3-is a sectionalview, similar to Figure 2, showing a cast tap bush sealed in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

Figure 4 is a plan view ofl a tap bush sealed in accordance with the principles of the presentinvention, and showing aV modification of the same.

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view taken sub'- stantally in the plane indicated by the line Y--V @frime 4 v1 j Figure 6 isa vertical sectional view, similar to Figure 5, showinga modification.

Figure 7 is a vertical sectional viewthrough a sealing ring as utilized in the form of the invention illustrated in Figure 8.

Figure 8 is a vertical sectional view through a tap bush with a seal applied, and utilizing the ring of Figure 7 for sealing the bush.

' Figure 9 is a vertical sectional view through a tapv bush showing another form of sealing the revenue stamp or seal in a tap bush.

.The drawing Will now berexplained. e

The presentinvention contemplates the application Vof a seal; such as arevenue stamp, over a tap bush to cover the rod Yreceiving opening of the same,` and toraiiix the sealin position so that a portion of the seal maybe removed for connecting a tap tothe bush, and at thesame time Athe means employed for aiiixing the seal remain in placein such manner asnot to interfere with the application and use of a tap.

n The tap bush illustrated in Figure 2 is a twopart` bush and comprises a body member l and a neck 2; This body may be made as a forging `"or a stamping and as so made includes a `central lupper ii'ange 5, and is utilized for the purpose of welding the bush to a steel barrel. The neck 2 may be madeas a casting or forging, and as so made is provided with an upper flange 6 which is recessed at two opposite points, as at 1 and 8, to receive lugs onva tap for connecting a tap to the bush lin gas-tight relation.

The neck 2 is provided with cut-out portions 1 to receive indentations 8 in the body I, which are formed by any suitable tool to lock the neck againstY rotation with respect to the collar 3. After the neck has been applied about the collar, the upper extremity of the collar is flared as at 9 to secure the neck in position. In the formation of the body i, lugs i@ may be struck out to provide projections for engagement by a cork to prevent accidental displacement of the cork from Within the collar` 3.

The sealing ring A consists of a ring made of inexpensive material, such for instance as tin, and is made as a ring, With a horizontal portion H and a flange portion i2. The flange portion I2, when the ring is made for application to a tap bush, extends from the horizontal portion `Il -at an angle, preferably at an obtuse angle, so as to be readily applied over the flange 5 of the bush.

In sealing a tap bush With the ring A, 4the seal,

such as the revenue stamp B, is placed over the tap bush with its margins engaging against the upper surface of the flange 5,1thereupon the ring A is applied with its horizontal portion bearing against the marginal portions of the seal B .and the ilange l2 vis then subjected to such action as to inturn va portion thereof, indicated at l2a so as to underlie the flange 5 and thus secure the revenue stamp -or seal B to the bush. The seal A is herein described vas being crimped or clamped Yto the bush which crimping :or clamping may be accomplished by any suitable tool or means.

The bush illustrated in Figure 3 is adaptable for'application to a Wooden barrel and is there illustrated as being -made as a casting. The bush C is provide-d with a central collar i3, which terminates in a flange lll for `co-,operating with a tap to secure the tap to the bush in gas tight relation. The exterior of the body of the bush C is threaded as -at vI4 for engagement' with a tap .bush opening in the barrel. In this form of bush, projections I6 .arey cast integrally therewith, adjacent the lower extremity of the fcollar L3, for engagement by a cork toA prevent accidental displacement of the cork due 'to .gas pressure within the barrel.

In `this Yform of bush, there is provided a lange I- which may be utilized as a shoulder to limit the inward movement of the bush when applied tc a barrel. lAnother flange I8 `isrprovided, `disposed .above the flange Il, to receive the sealing ring A for applying Vthe seal ,or revenue stampB to the bush. rfhemanner of applying thesealing ring A, as Well as the construction of vthe ring., is the same as that described with reference to Figures l vand `2. j

Figure 5 illustrates a cast bush D having the collar i9, terminating in the flange 2D, to cooper'- ate with thetap.. The exterior of the bush 'D is threaded as at 21 `t'o engage an opening in a Wooden barrel. A flange 22 `is formed on the bush to limit inward movement of the bush when applied to a barrel. Inwardly of `the margin of 4the iiange 22, the upper portion ,of the .bush is undercut to provide -an undercutV recess 23. The recess, in Figure 5, isillustrated as .having `an acute angular side 2li which is convergent outwardly of the bush. yThe horizontal shoulder 25 ci the undercut recess 23, is disposed below the upper extremity `of Ythe flange 29 of the collar .I 9. In this vform yof, bush, the .seal or revenue ystamp D is .applied against the flange .25J of .the collar and the marginsof thestamp rest 4.against the iiat yshoulder Q5 vof theundercut recess 23. A sealing or retaining ring E, `Which :is acute :angled -in cross section, is then forced into the `recess 23 :against the margins -of the seal B, Yandl because .of

the inherent ring characteristics of the ring, snaps into position in engagement with the angled Wall 24 of the recess and thus fastens the revenue stamp or seal B in position.

Figure 4 is an elevational view of a tap bush constructed as just described with a revenue stamp or seal B in sealing relationship.

Figure 6 iilustrates a tap bush constructed somewhat similarly to Figure 5 except that the upwardly extending Wall 26 ofthe undercut re- .cess 21, instead of being arranged as an acute angle to the horizontal portion of the recess, and in a straight line, is arcuate in section. The sealing ring, F is adapted for application to the recess 21 Vto seal the stamp or seal B in position, has an .upstanding flange 28 of such flexibility as to snap into position in conformity with the curvature ofthe wall Y2-6 of the recess.

In the form of bush illustrated in Figure 8,

the upper margin thereof is provided with a cutout 2S which terminates at its lower margin with an undercut 3U. The seal or revenue stamp iB is applied to thisbush With its extremities lying in the undercut 3i). A Vscali-ng ring, such as is illustrated in Figure 7, is then applied over the margins of the revenue stamp B and with the extrem-ities of the ring inserted -in the undercut 3.9 Vto thu-s secu-re the stamp or seal B over the bush. j e

The ring G has a at marginal portion 3i, and any upwardly inclined portion 32. The upwardly inclined portionl 32 denes an opening 33 which is greater than the diameter of the outer periphery Yof the flange 3dof the bush. The ring G is somewhat flexed when it is forced home into -the undercut portion 3i) of the bush to secure the revenue stamp or seal in position.

The construction illustrated in Figure -9 is'quite similar to that illustrated in Figure V8 except that a -split spring ring 31| isV employed to enter the .undercut portion 32 to secure the seal or stamp B in position.

It `vvill be observed that in all -of the constructions lheretofore explained, the seal or revenue .stamp Bzoverlies the central opening in the bush, through which opening the cork is applied, from outside the bar-rel, to close the opening :in the tap -bush and through which the pump rod inserted when a tap is applied to the barrel for discharging the barrel contents.

When it is` desired to tap a barrel sealed in the manner herein described, the ltap is applied aga-inst the lstamp `or seal, thus breaking it, or, if desired, the stam-p may be cutout inside the periphery vof the several sealing rings which -retain the same in position, or else may be cut out to coincide with the rod opening. In any event the sealing ring remains in place on the bush as this is so positioned as not to interfere with Ythe application of a tap and the association of the tap with the Ybush in gas tight relation. When a barrel has been emptied of the contents, it is returned to the brewery for relling.

Should any barrel so returned have the sealing ring removed, then heed is made of this fact and an investigation made to determine under what circumstances such sealing -ring was removed.

It is contemplated that the sealing rings'remain on the bushes when the barrels are returned to the breweries, thus indicating that the seals or stamps have been mutilated in removing the same from the bushes. Y

Absence of any sealing ring from a tap bush out of an empty barrel returned to a brewery would indicate that the sealing ring had been pried off in some manner and the stamp removed unmutilated, and undoubtedly utilized for bootleg liquor. Such circumstances would thereupon be investigated by proper authorities, and proper action taken to punish such unauthorized removal of the stamp and to prevent its reoccurrence.

The seal is preferably of frangible material so as to readily break when a tap is applied toa bush sealed in accordance with the present invention. y

The invention has been described herein more or less precisely as to details but it is to be understood as not to beV limited thereby, as changes may be made in the arrangement and proportion of parts and equivalents may be substituted Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

The invention is claimed as follows:

Sealing means for a tap bush including in combination with a tap bush having an undercut groove in it inwardly of its outer end, a seal inserted in said groove, and an unsplit ring of angular cross-section pressed into said groove to retain said seal in place.

FRANK E. RICE. 

